The present invention relates to ways of specifying places, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an indexing method that can be used with an application in a navigation system or other computing platform in order to specify a destination.
Navigation-related functions are provided on various different computer platforms. For example, navigation-related functions can be provided with standalone systems or networked systems. In a standalone system, the software applications, geographic data, and hardware are combined at a single location. A standalone system may be installed in a vehicle or carried by a person. In a networked system, some of the software or geographic data are located with the hardware with the user and some of the software or geographic data are located remotely and accessed over a communications system. Navigation-related functions are provided by systems implemented on dedicated platforms in which the hardware and software are specifically designed for navigation purposes. Alternatively, systems that provide navigation-related features can be implemented on general purpose computing platforms (such as personal computers, personal digital assistants, or networked computers) using appropriate software applications and data.
Dedicated navigation systems and general purpose computing platforms that run navigation applications (hereinafter referred to collectively as “navigation systems”) provide a variety of useful features and services. For example, navigation systems used in vehicles can provide detailed instructions for driving to desired destinations thereby reducing travel times and expenses. Navigation systems and navigation applications can also search for businesses of a desired type and provide routing guidance to locations of such businesses.
One consideration associated with these systems relates to how places are specified to the system by a user. For example, when a user wishes to obtain guidance from a navigation system for following a route to a destination, it is necessary that the user indicate, by some means, the destination to the system. The function of specifying a destination can be complicated for various reasons. Many systems do not calculate a route or provide guidance until an exact location for the destination has been indicated in its entirety by the user. However, in some cases the user may not know the exact spelling of a city or street. Another possible complication occurs when cities or towns have the same or similar names.
Accordingly, there exists a need for improvements in the way that a location, such as a destination, can be specified by a user to a system. As an example, there is a need for improvements in the way that a user specifies a destination in order to obtain a calculated route.